‘American Idol’ Music Supervisor Murder Suspect Still Incompetent for Trial, Judge Rules

The man charged with murdering longtime American Idol music supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband, musician Thomas Deluca, remains incompetent to stand trial more than eight months after he was committed to a California state hospital, a Los Angeles County judge has ruled.

Raymond Boodarian, 23, will remain at Patton State Hospital under an involuntary medication order after Judge Maria Cavalluzzi reviewed a new report from clinicians at the facility during a Monday progress hearing. His next competency hearing is scheduled for March 22, 2027.

“The defendant is ordered retained and treated,” Cavalluzzi wrote in the Sept. 21 minute order. His maximum commitment date remains Dec. 19, 2027, and the court’s previous medication order will stay in effect.

Boodarian did not appear at the hearing. Criminal proceedings against him remain suspended while he is incompetent to stand trial, preventing the murder case from moving toward trial unless a judge later finds that he can understand the proceedings and assist in his defense.

Prosecutors have charged Boodarian with two counts of murder and one count of first-degree residential burglary in the July 10, 2025 killings at the couple’s Encino home. The case also includes special-circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder during the commission of a burglary.

Authorities allege Boodarian entered the home while Kaye and Deluca, both 70, were away and encountered them when they returned from a shopping trip. Prosecutors say he shot both multiple times with a gun found inside the house and fled. Their bodies were discovered four days later during a welfare check.

Investigators say police were called to the property on the afternoon of the killings after a neighbor reported seeing someone climb over the fence. A search warrant affidavit later revealed that a second 911 caller identified himself as Raymond Boodarian and claimed someone had broken into “his office,” according to Rolling Stone.

Surveillance footage allegedly showed Kaye and Deluca arriving home at about 4:43 p.m. Roughly 10 minutes later, a man identified by investigators as the suspect was seen leaving the property with a handgun concealed in his waistband. Officers who responded that day reported seeing no signs of a break-in and did not enter the house.

Questions about Boodarian’s competency emerged early in the prosecution. During a court appearance last year, he stood behind a plexiglass partition and did not respond when a judge attempted to speak with him. His public defender told the court that Boodarian had “severe mental health issues,” while the judge described him as staring into space rather than responding to questions.

A judge formally found Boodarian incompetent to stand trial in November 2025, suspending the criminal case while he underwent treatment aimed at restoring competency. He was later committed to Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino County.

If Boodarian is eventually restored to competency, the prosecution can resume. The charges carry a possible sentence of life in prison without parole or death if he is convicted as charged, although the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office would separately decide whether to seek the death penalty.

Kaye had worked on American Idol since 2009 and also held music department roles on the NAACP Image Awards and Lip Sync Battle. Deluca was a songwriter and performer whose credits included work with Micky Dolenz of the Monkees.

Boodarian will remain at Patton State Hospital as treatment continues. His March 2027 hearing is expected to provide the next court update on whether he has regained competency and whether the murder prosecution can resume.